Fwd: [Harp-L] Toots harmonica patterns

["Winslow Yerxa" <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

The legato around the slide-alternate C and F is only part of the 
picture. It's what supports Toots' assertion that Eb and Bb are the 
smoothest keys as their major scales can be played with the fewest 
breath changes and offer the greatest choice of breath combinations 
at any point in those scales.

However, finding ways to combine the slide with largely same-breath 
combinations - beyond scalewise note sequences - that make sense 
harmonically and idiomatically in any given context are a much bigger 
part of the picture. This often goes to chord substitutions and 
extensions, but always viewed from the point of what lies smoothly on 
the tuning layout of the standard chromatic harmonica. For instance, 
how can a C major arpeggio (a sequence of three contiguous blow 
notes) make sense over an Eb7 chord? That's a relatively easy one, 
but you get the idea. This is something I think Wim has already 
explored.

Comparing the Charlie Parker II-V-I progressions to what Toots has 
actually done could be interesting, though Toots' work can be 
analyzed with reference to jazz harmony in general. Considering all 
the developments in jazz that Toots has absorbed in the last fifty 
years, it's the route I'm nore inclined to take.

While I'm familiar with the Charlie Parker Omnibook, I'm not aware of 
anyone extracting and presenting or analyzing the II-V-I progressions 
specifically in a book. Can you tell me more about this?

WInslow


--- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Robert Bonfiglio <bon@...> 
wrote:

I had several chromatic students in the 70's - Clint Hoover, Randy 
Singer, Rob Paparozzi, Donny Brooks, etc. that were not interested in 
classical music and wished to take the chromatic into jazz or at 
least 
improvisation.  I had a discussion with Toots at his apartment in New 
York City on the East Side about his approach and he said that he 
took 
Charlie Parker II-V-I progressions and played them through 12 keys 
figuring out which ones fit i the harmonica.

I then had Chris DePino buy a copy of Charlie Parker II-V-I 
progressions which he still has.  It would be interesting to take 
Winslow's discoveries of how Toots approached his solos and apply 
them 
to the ii-V-I Parker progressions.  I think the key is the legato 
around doubled C's and F's.

Harmonically yours,

Robert Bonfiglio


Winslow wrote:
Years ago I transcribed several of Toots' solos with an eye to seeing
how he came up with melodic patterns that "lay well" on the
instrument - my idea of what lay well being very similar to your:

"lines which are based on the layout of the harmonica . . .. lines
that need 'limited' control over all the variables at the same time."



_______________________________________________
Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
Harp-L@...
http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l

--- End forwarded message ---